Should You Buy a Home or Invest?
Should you buy a home to live in or rent and invest your savings? If you’re in your 20s or early 30s, living at home, and sitting on savings — you’re probably being told it’s time to buy your first house. But what if that’s not actually the smartest move?
More young people are now asking: is it better to buy a house or invest? And increasingly, the answer is: invest.
Instead of buying a property to live in (which can limit flexibility and tie up capital), forward-thinking investors are using their savings to buy rental properties that deliver income, capital growth, and long-term wealth — all while still living at home.
That’s exactly what our client Sachi Shah did — and her story is proof that you don’t have to buy your dream home first to start investing in property.
Why Buying a Home to Live In Isn’t Always the Best First Move
When you’ve saved a deposit, the pressure to get on the ladder is real. But there are a few reasons why buying a home to live in might not be the most strategic option:
❌ It Limits Your Growth
Buying one home to live in uses up your deposit, but rarely gives you any income. You’re stuck with mortgage repayments and no return unless the value increases — which isn’t guaranteed in the short term.
❌ It Can Affect Affordability Later
Once you have a residential mortgage, it can be harder to get funding for investment properties in future — limiting your ability to scale.
❌ It’s Not Always a Smart Use of Capital
Buying in the area you want to live in might mean lower rental yields and slower growth. You’re tied to personal preference instead of smart investment logic.
As Sachi put it:
“Lucy and Jayne guided me through every step of the process. It was a huge learning opportunity, and knowing the Lifestyle team had all the answers gave me real confidence.”
— Sachi Shah
Rent and Invest, or Buy a House? What Young People Are Doing Instead
Let’s be clear — there’s nothing wrong with wanting your own place. But if your goal is financial freedom, passive income, or long-term wealth, then starting with buy-to-let property can be a much smarter move.
Instead of asking “buy a house or invest?”, ask this:
Do I want to live in my money — or grow it?
✅ Buy a Bigger House Later
When you invest now, you can build up rental income and equity, which can later help you afford a bigger, better home — without financial strain.
✅ Rent and Invest Instead
Living at home or renting cheaply gives you flexibility — and allows your money to work harder for you in the background.
✅ Leverage the Power of Compounding Early
Starting young gives your money time to grow. The earlier you start investing, the more time you have to benefit from capital growth and compounding rental income.
How Lifestyle Property Group Helps First-Time Investors
At Lifestyle Property Group, we make investing in property accessible, simple, and stress-free — even if you’ve never bought a property before.
We helped Sachi Shah use her savings to invest in a high-performing rental property while still living at home.
Here’s how we help:
- 🎯 Custom Strategy: We take the time to understand your goals, budget, and timeline.
- 🏡 High-Yield Property Sourcing: Our local team uncovers hidden gems in thriving Northern cities like Leeds and Sheffield.
- 🛠️ Refurbishment Management: We boost value and rentability right from day one.
- 👩💼 Tenanting & Lettings: We find reliable tenants through trusted letting agents.
- 🔄 Ongoing Portfolio Management: You earn income — we handle the work.
You don’t need to know it all — we guide you every step, just like we did with Sachi.
“After completing on my first property, I’ve already recommended Lifestyle to friends and family. They made the entire process seamless.”
— Sachi Shah
Is It Better to Buy a House or Invest? You Decide.
If you’re living at home, have savings, and aren’t quite ready to move out — you don’t have to wait to start building wealth.
You could buy a house to live in.
You could rent and do nothing.
Or — you could do what Sachi did, and start your property investment journey now, while your cost of living is low and your savings can stretch further.
So…
Buy a house or invest?
Invest. And let your future self thank you for it.
Start today — speak to our experts.
